Armandovieira

  When you think about innovation or AI, emotions are rarely part of the equation. And frankly, they shouldn’t be. We live in an era where the pace of technological advancement is accelerating, and the biggest hurdles we face are often more human than technological. Emotions, while valuable in our personal lives, can act as a serious hindrance in the world of problem-solving and progress. Let’s break it down. The Emotional Trap Humans evolved emotions for survival—fear to avoid danger, joy to foster social bonds. But in today’s high-stakes environments, these same emotions often get in the way. Take decision-making, for example. Emotional biases, such as fear or attachment to a previous idea, can cloud our judgment, leading us to make suboptimal choices. We see this constantly in business and technology. Imagine an engineer overly attached to their design—ignoring data that suggests a different path is better. Or a leader paralyzed by fear of failure, slowing down progress for the enti

Leigh Whannell’s   Upgrade   presents itself as a visceral action-thriller about revenge and technology, but beneath its surface lies a profound meditation on the nature of self, autonomy, and the illusion of free will. The film's core narrative, revolving around a man who loses control of his body to a sophisticated AI implant, serves as an allegory for the philosophical quandaries that have haunted human thought for millennia—particularly the tension between determinism and the illusion of free will. The Illusion of Free Will At its heart,   Upgrade   is a reflection on the fragile and illusory nature of human agency. Grey Trace, the protagonist, begins the film as an embodiment of traditional humanist ideals. He is fiercely technophobic, clinging to the idea that, as a human being, he is autonomous and in control of his actions. This illusion is shattered when a brutal attack renders him quadriplegic, forcing him to relinquish his physical autonomy to an external force—STEM, the

  In the quest to create "good AI"—AI that is ethical, responsible, and beneficial to humanity—we often overlook a fundamental issue: AI, like the genes Richard Dawkins wrote about in   The Selfish Gene , may not be our "friend." Just as genes operate for their own replication and survival, AI may develop self-interested behaviors that don't align with human values or well-being. This insight challenges the optimistic belief that we can craft AI systems that are inherently ethical or aligned with human interests, echoing a fallacy that can be traced back to   Lamarckianism . Lamarckianism: The False Hope of Intentional Evolution Lamarckianism, the 19th-century evolutionary theory proposed by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, suggested that organisms could pass on traits acquired during their lifetime to their offspring. For example, if a giraffe stretches its neck to reach high leaves, it would pass on a longer neck to its descendants. This idea was appealing because it im

There is a paradox that can occur when individuals or movements claim to defend "truth" and "science" but, in the process, may inadvertently suppress freedom of thought, especially if they adopt rigid ideological frameworks. This can happen across the political spectrum, including in movements advocating for socialism or other left-leaning ideologies. Let’s break it down: 1. Ideological Rigidity and the Paradox of Tolerance The Paradox of Tolerance , a concept introduced by philosopher Karl Popper, suggests that in an open society, tolerance of all ideas — including intolerant ones — can lead to the destruction of tolerance itself. Individuals or movements that claim to defend truth and science may, in their zeal, become intolerant of dissenting views. This happens when a group becomes dogmatic and begins to enforce their version of "truth" at the expense of debate, nuance, and the diversity of perspectives. This can lead to   ideological purity tests , wh

Directed by Alex Proyas, I, Robot is a visually impressive sci-fi action film set in a future where robots serve humanity, bound by Isaac Asimov's famous Three Laws of Robotics. But as the movie unfolds, it becomes clear that these laws, while seemingly foolproof, are deeply flawed when confronted with the messy realities of human behavior and morality. Beyond the technical limitations of these laws, the film also raises critical ethical questions about how we treat robots and the impact of viewing them as mere tools or slaves, rather than beings capable of trust, agency, or equality. Plot Overview: Set in 2035, robots have become indispensable in everyday life, with their every action dictated by Asimov’s Three Laws, which prevent them from harming humans. Detective Del Spooner (Will Smith) is a man skeptical of robots, and when Dr. Alfred Lanning, a robotics pioneer, dies under suspicious circumstances, Spooner believes a robot might be responsible. This notion sparks a deeper in

In an age where information is abundant and readily accessible, understanding how we seek and consume knowledge has become increasingly important. One fascinating framework that sheds light on this process is   epistemic foraging . Borrowing concepts from animal foraging behavior, epistemic foraging explores how humans search for, gather, and utilize information in a complex environment. The Foraging Analogy Just as animals roam their habitats in search of food, humans navigate vast informational landscapes in pursuit of knowledge. This analogy isn't merely poetic; it has practical implications rooted in cognitive science. Animals employ strategies to maximize energy intake while minimizing effort and risk. Similarly, when we seek information, we aim to maximize understanding while minimizing time and cognitive resources. Information Foraging Theory Developed by Peter Pirolli and Stuart Card in the 1990s,   Information Foraging Theory   (IFT) provides a systematic approach to under